Measuring and recording device



June 19, 1951 n P. RErrz, JR

IEASURING AND RECORDING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed latch 19, 1946 June 19, 1951 l P.'RE|Tz, JR v 2,557,798

msuamc AND RECORDING DEVICE Filed March 19, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEY June 19, 1951 L. P. RElTz, JR 2,557,798,

nmsunmc AND RECORDING Dx-:vIcx-z Filed March 19, 1946 4 Sheath-Sheet 3 FIG. e J FIG. 9

loo 99 se ix+A I L] LJ I l I I I I I I FIG. Il

INVENTOR LEWIS P. REITZ Jr.

June 19, 1951 L. P. RErrz, JR 2,557,798

uEAsURING AND RECORDING DEVICE Filed March 19, 194s 4 sums-sheet 4 I I I I B+I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Ir I I I I I I I I sa I I I I I f3/ l l I 9o I- se@ Q96 l FIG. IO

JNVENTOIL LEWIS P. RErrz Jr. BY I 44.

HIS ATTORNEY Patented June 19, '1951 MEASURING AND RECORDING DEVICE Lewis P. Reitz, Jr., Millington, N. J., assigner, by

mesne assignments, to Raytheon Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 19, 1946, Serial No. 655,559

s claims. l

The present invention relates to automatic measuring, recording and indicating apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to the automatic measuring, indicating and recording of the resistive and reactive components of an impedance as functions of frequency or of any independent variable. The present invention further relates to measuring, indicating and recording the complex gain lof electrical networks as a function of frequency or other independent variable.

Heretofore, most devices for impedance measurement have been slow in operation and generally give capacity and inductance values rather than reactance values. The present invention provides an apparatus for measuring, indicating and recording directly the reactance and resistance values of a complex impedance. According to the present invention an alternating current of substantially constant amplitude is passed through the complex impedance to be measured. The resulting voltage drop is treated electronically in such a manner as to operate one or more closed cycle servo mechanisms which indicate the resistive and reactive components. The resulting measurement may be indicated by means of cathode ray tubes or recorders. For example, a direct recording of resistance, r-eactance and impedance as functions of frequency or of any independent variable of any twoterminal network, such as a loud speaker, can be obtained. Moreover, a record can also be obtained of the complex gain of any three-terminal network, such as an amplifier or filter.

The above and other objects, of my invention as well as the construction and operation of the same will best be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the general circuit; Figs. 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 1l are schematic diagrams of suitable circuit elements for use in the general circuit shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are circuit diagrams explanatory of Fig. 2; and Figs. 8 and 9 are curves illustrating the operation of the cir'- cuit of Fig. 7.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a signal generator I provides a testing voltage of substantially con'- stant amplitude at the desired frequency. If it be desired to measure impedance magnitudes with respect to frequency, the generator I must be able to produce a variable frequency and preferably a continuously variable frequency. For example, if the condenser III, shown dotted in the box which represents generator I, represents the frequency varying element, it may be rotated by a motor H2, and where a record is desired, a self-synchronous transmitter motor II3 may have its shaft rotated in synchronism with the condenser shaft. The transmitter motor II3 is diagrammatically shown connected by cable I I4 to self-synchronous receiver motor I I5. Motor H5 may directly or through any desired amplifying arrangement be connected to drive the record paper feed of recorders 29 and I5. By this means the record paper will be moved synchronously with and at rate proportional to the rate of frequency change of generator I.

'I'he output of the generator I is impressed across the unknown impedance 3, which is illustrated as having resistance and capacitance components 4 and 5 respectively. In series with the generator is a variable resistance 2 which is preferably of a large value compared to the unknown impedance 3 so that substantially constant current will flow through the impedance 3. The opposite terminals of generator I and of the impedance 3 are grounded at 6. Substantially all voltages in the system and involved in the ensuing discussion are measured with respect to ground.

'Ihe voltage across the unknown impedance 3 Thus the voltage Er is directly proportional to the resistive component of the unknown impedance and the voltage iEx is directly proportional to the reactive component of the unknown impedance.

The signal generator I supplies a voltage 'E' to three parallel circuits: the rst, including the unknown impedance 3, has already been described; the second commences with conductor 1; and the third commences with conductor 8. In series with conductor l, between the generator and ground, is a variable range-control resistor 9 and a potentiometer I0. 'Ihe voltage E' between the generator and ground has the same phase as the voltage Er, inasmuch as the voltage Er is that which is proportional to the resistive component of the load 3 which is connected across the generator. The voltage drop across the potentiometer l0 is reduced to substantially the same magnitude as the voltage Er by means of the range control resistor 8. Movable contact Il of potentiometer III is automatically adjusted by a mechanical link I2, operated by a servo mechanism I3, as will be described later.

Potentiometer contact I I is connected to a subtraction circuit I 5 (an example of which is shown in Fig. 2 and will be described belowlthrcugh a calibrating resistance network comprising series resistance I4 and variable shunt resistance I6. The subtraction circuit I5 is also connected to the ungrounded end of the unknown impedance 3 by means of the conductor I1. Because the branch circuit consisting of resistor 9 and potentiometer I is entirely resistive, the voltage between potentiometer contact II and ground can be expressed as equal to K (Ef-l-El) where K is a constant and El is an error voltage, the magnitude of which, as will be shown later, approaches zero. The voltage supplied to the subtraction circuit I through conductor I1 is the voltage Ez as shown in Equation 1. The output voltage of circuit I5 is the diierence between the two input voltages, namely The path 8 from the signal generator I includes series resistors I8 and I9 between the signal generator and ground to provide a voltage of reduced magnitude. The voltage E'o is led to a phase inverter circuit22 and reappears at the output of the same as two voltages balanced with respect to ground namely +En and El. A suitable phase inverter circuit is shown in Fig. 5 and described below.

The two voltages, +Eo and El, are individually added to the voltage y'Ex-i-E in the mixer circuit 23, a suitable example of which is shown in Fig. 6. The output voltage of one half of the mixer circuit can then be written and of the other half -Eo-i-(iEr-l-EA). Since Eo-l-EA are each resistive components of voltage having no phase difference when referred to av common source, these two values can be written (Eo-i-EU-i-:Ez and En-l-E )+7'Er. These two voltage are fed into the two halves of the pushpull square law detector circuit 25, an example of which is shown in Fig. 7, where the voltage magnitudes are individually squared. The outputs of the two square law detectors are so connected that the magnitude of one is subtracted from that of the other, leaving a net voltage magnitude equal to KEoEl where K is some constant. A further discussion of this result is given below with reference to Fig. 7. The latter voltage appears as a direct voltage since alternating components are removed by the condenser 26 4 tact II in conjunction with a suitable calibrated scale 21 may directly indicate a resistive compont4,`-or the voltage drop between contact II and ground may be indicated on a meter or on a cathode ray tube.

In order to produce a record I prefer to have the mechanical link l2 of the servo I3 also operate a recording stylus 28 of a recorder 29 whose recording paper 39 is moved in synchronism with variations in frequency of the signal generator I. This may be carried out by any of the methods well known in the art.

For the measuring and recording of the reactance component of the voltage Er, the output voltage of the subtraction circuit I5, namely jEI-l-EA. is led by way of conductor 3l to an amplier 32 'of conventional design, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 11. The amplied voltage y'Ez-l-EA is rectied by a diode rectifier circuit including a series condenser II6, diode 33 and resistor 34. The cathode of the diode 33 and the corresponding end of resistor 34 are connected to ground through condenser 35, whereby alternating ccmponents of the rectied voltage iEI-f-El are passed to ground. The cathode end of resistor 34 is also connected to ground through the adjustable contact 36 of a potentiometer 31 which is grounded at one end. The other end of the potentiometer is connected through an adjustable series resistance 38 to a direct voltage source 39 and thence to ground. The voltage of the source 39 is reduced by resistance 36 to a value approximately equal to the output voltage of diode 33 and is of opposite polarity. Thus, the direct current component of the rectied voltage yEe-i-EA which appears across the resistance 34 has in series with it in opposite polarity the voltage drop across a portion of the potentiometer 31. The adjustable contact 36 of the potentiometer is operated by the servo mechanism 42 as explained below. The servo mechanism 42 may be similar to servo I3 and may be of the type shown in Fig. 10. The operating voltage for the servo mechanism is the resultant of the voltage across resistor 34 and potentiometer 31. When potentiometer 31 is adjusted by the servo mechanism so that its voltage drop is exactly equal to that across resistor 34, the position of the potentiometer contact will be such that the voltage across a portion of the potentiometer is exactly proportional to the voltage JEz-i-EA.

^ When, however, the resistance measuring porshunted across the output of detector 25. Thus the magnitude of the direct voltage KEoEA is diy rectly proportional to the error voltage EA The -direct voltage is 'supplied to a servo mechanism I3, which produces a positive, negative or zero mechanical torque on the mechanical link I2 depending upon whether the error voltage El is positive, negative, or zero respectively. The mechanical link I2 is connected to operate potentiometer contact II as mentioned above. The

portional to Er and to the resistive component of the unknown impedance. The position of contions of the circuit, as previously described, have operated to make El equal to zero, the position of potentiometer contact 36 will be a measure of the reactive component :iEx of the voltage Er. The servo mechanism 42, through mechanical link 43, positions adjustable contact 3'6 of the potentiometer 31 to the point where the voltage input to the servo 42 is zero. At this point therefore the voltage between potentiometer contact 36 and ground is proportional to :'Ee. The position of contact 36 in relation to a suitably calibrated scale 31' may be used to give a direct reading of the reactance component of the unknown impedance 3, or the voltage drop between contact 36 and ground may be measured by a meter or indicated on a cathode ray tube.

I prefer, however, in order to obtainv a record of the reactance component, to arrange the servo mechanical linkage 43 so that it also drives stylus 44 of recorder 45 to produce a record on chart paper 46 which is preferably moved in synchronism with frequency variations of signal generator l as suggested above. If desired, the stylus `able contact of potentiometer I0.

Il may be mounted on the same recorder as stylus 20 whereby records of both resistance and reactance of the unknown impedance 3 may be simultaneously produced as functions of frequency.

A cathode ray tube presentation of the resistance and reactance components of the unknown impedance as functions of frequency may be obtained with my invention in place of a record. For this purpose, as illustrated in Fig. 1, voltage from the generator I, which is preferably cyclically varying in frequency, is led by way of conductor and calibrating resistance |02 to a cathode ray tube horizontal vsweep circuit |03. This circuit may be of any suitable form well known in the art. It should provide suitable potential to sweep the beams of the cathode ray tubes |00 and |05 horizontally across the screens of the tubes in synchronism with the frequency variations of signal generator I. To this end sweep circuit |03 is connected by conductor |06 to the horizontal deflecting plates of cathode ray tube |04 and through conductor |01 to the horizontal defiecting plates of cathode ray tube |05. Vertical deflection of the beam of tube |04 is produced by the adjusted voltage across potentiometer |0 and is therefore proportional to the resistance component of the unknown impedance 3. To this end the vertical plates of cathode ray tube |0lare connected by conductor |08 to mov- Similarly, vertical deflection of the beam of cathode ray tube |05 is made proportional to the adjusted voltage drop across potentiometer 31. By connecting the vertical detlecting plates of cathode ray tube |05 to movable contact 36 of the potentiometer 31 by way of conductor |09, the vertical deflections of the beam of the cathode ray tube |05 are therefore proportional to the reactance of the unknown impedance 3.

While various circuit arrangements can be used for the block elements shown in Fig. 1, suitable examples of some of these are shown in Figs. 2 to 11 inclusive. The subtraction circuit I5 may, for example, be constructed as shown in Fig. 2. The junction of resistors Il and I0 is connected to the cathode of triode 50 whose grid, by conductor I1, is supplied with the voltage Ei across the unknown impedance, namely Ef-H'Ex. The voltage K(ET+EA) reduced by Calibrating resistance I4 is applied across variable cathode resistor I6. 'I'he resultant anode output voltage is then ieu-EA. This will best be understood by considering the basic equivalent circuit of Fig. 2

I which may be represented as in Fig. 3. The grid voltage is here replaced by E1 and the cathode voltage by En. This circuit is in turn equivalent to the circuit of Fig. 4 in which R1 represents theA where [1(R1,Rz)] represents a iirst function of R1 and Rz, and [fz(R1,Rz)] represents a second function of R1 and R2. Thus, by proper adjustment of R1 and R2, namely resistances I4 and I5 in Fig. 1, the output voltage of the circuit I5 between conductor l1 and ground can be made equal to the vector difference of the two input voltages; that is, R1 and Rz can be so chosen that 2(R1,R2) =JLRL and 1(R1,Ra) =1 so that relation (3) becomes I2Ri=E2E1 The phase inverter 22 may employ a circuit like that shown in Fig. 5. This comprises a triode 5| having its grid supplied with the voltage Eu. The cathode is connected to ground through resistor 52, and the anode is supplied with plate voltage through resistor 53. The

. alternating voltages between cathode and ground and between anode and ground are opposite in phase, and by proper adjustment of the circuit constants the cathode circuit output -Eo can be made substantially equal in magnitude to the plate circuit output -l-Eo. Blocking condensers 5I and 55 are provided in the anode and cathode circuits respectively.

The mixer circuit 23 may be as shown in Fig. 6. This circuit comprises two triodes 5B and 51. The cathodes of these are tied together through balancing resistors 58 and 59 and connected to ground. The two voltages +En and E0 are supplied to the grids across resistors 60 and 6| balanced with respect to ground. The plates of tubes 56 and 51 are connected together through plate resistors 62 and 63, plate voltage being supplied to the junction of these resistors. The voltage jEx-l-EA which is to be mixed with +En and En is also connected to the junction of resistors 62 and 63, so that the former voltage is added to the two input voltages in the plate circuits of the tubes 56 and 51. The two output conductors B4 and 65 are connected to the plate circuits through blocking condensers 56 and 51. There thus appears in the outputs, that is, between conductors 64 and 55 and ground, respectively, the complex voltages (yEx-l-EA-i-Eu) and (fEx-i-E A-Eo) respectively.

The square law detector circuit 25 may, for example, be in the form shown in Fig. '7. This comprises two electron tubes 68 and 69, both having a straight line transconductance characteristic 13, substantially as shown in the graph in Fig. 8, in which gm is the transconductance and eg is the grid voltage. The transfer characteristic 14 of both tubes 68 and 69 should be similar in shape and of the character indicated in the graph shown in Fig. 9, where the ordinates Ip represent plate voltage and the abscissae eg represent grid voltage. Any absolute dierence between the magnitudes of the transfer characteristics of the two tubes 68 and 60 may be equalized by means of resistors 10 and 1| connected between the input conductors 64 and 65 and grounded bias battery 12. The two tubes 60 and 69 are connected in push-pull with their cathodes connected together as shown. The two voltages (iEI-l-EA-l-Eo) and (jEz-l-EA-Eo) are applied to the grids. Alternating components in the outputs of the two tubes are suppressed by resistance condenser combinations 15, 15 and 11, 18. The resultant direct voltage drop across the extremities of the two series connected resistors 15 and 11 is then equal to KEOEA. This follows from a consideration of the characteristics of the two tubes. Let us assume that for each tube Ip equals grid voltage and gm equals tube transconductance. An increase in eg increases the direct component of the output voltage due to the straight line shape of the gm-eg characteristic of the tube (Fig. 8); that is,

and, integrating:

1.@:K1e2g In other words, the voltage drops across resistances and 11 are respectively proportional to "the squares of the input voltages. Thus, bearing in mind that the voltages [(Eo|-EA)+7'E] and [(-Eo-l-EA) +7`E1] are vector quantities, we ind that the voltages across resistances 15 and 11 are respectively: Y

bridge circuit, with the cathodes of the triodesl connected together and to ground. Thel anodes are connected respectively through resistors 83 Y and 84 to anode voltage supply 85. Two diode rectiers 8G and 81 are connected in parallel in opposite polarity across the anodes of the two two tubes 8| and 82. In circuit with the diode 86 is o ne magnetic clutch coil 88 of a servomotor 9|). The other clutch coil 89 of the servomotor is in circuit with diode 81. The voltage KEnE is applied to the grids of the two tubes 8|v and 82. If the polarity of this voltage is such as to make the grid of tube 82 positive so that it conducts more current, the tube 86 will conduct more current and increase the current through clutch coil 88, actuating the servomotor in one direction. On the other hand, if the polarity of the input c voltage is reversed, clutch coil 89 will be energized, operating the servomotor in the opposite direction. A resistor ||0 in the bridge circuit maintains a continuous residual current through both magnet coils 88 and 89. When EA is zero, and vconsequently the input voltage KEoEA is zero, the servomotor will stop.

A useful type of servomotor may have a continuously rotating drum 9| arranged in close proximity to a pair of friction plates 92 and 93 arranged on opposite sides of the drum 9|. Plates 92 and 3 are furthermore fastened together on a carriage having extensions 94 and 95 free to move longitudinally between rollers 9S. The coils 88 and 89 serve to press one or the other of plates 92 and 93 against the rotating drum 9| whereby thc carriage 94 moves in either one or the other direction. Mechanically coupled to the carriage 94 is potentiometer contact ard stylus 28 whereby the potentiometer contact and the recorder stylus are simultaneously operated, so that the stylus will draw a. graph of the resistance component of the unknown imped-i ance relative to the frequency variations of the voltage supplied by signal generator For the recording of the reactance component of the unknown impedance 3, the amplier 82 may have the form shown in Fig. 11. This comprises a two-stage resistance coupled amplier having two trlodes 91 and 98. Feedback is provided by condenser 99 and resistance |00 between the output of tube 98 andthe input of tube 91 to maintain a ilat frequency response characteristic. The servo mechanism 42 is similar to the servo mechanism |3 shown in Fig. l0 except that one of the triodes, for example 82, may be omitted with a resistor substituted in its place having the same value as the resistance of tube 8| with zero applied grid voltage.

While according to Fig. l I have shown the generators signal applied to the phase inverter circuit, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that instead of this, the subtraction circuit voltage can be applied to the phase inverter and the generator voltage mixed with it.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

l. Apparatus for measuring the. resistance component of a complex impedance comprising a voltage source arranged to impress a signal voltage across said impedance under conditions of substantially constant current through `the latter, a rst substantially purely resistive elenfent connected across said source, a second resistive element connected across said source, means connected to said second element to furnish rst and second voltages of equal lesser magnitude than said signal voltage and mutually oppcsite phase, a movable tap connected to said iirst element and adapted to derive a third voltage therefrom, a subtraction circuit, means providing said third voltage and the complex voltage across said complex impedance to said subtraction circuit, saidv subtraction circuit producing a voltage proportional to their difference, means connected tosaid subtraction circuit for adding said diierence voltage separately to each of said irst and second voltages, means operative upon the two resulting sums to provide a second difference voltage, and servo-mechanism means responsive to the sense of said second difference voltage and operative upon said movable tap to alter said third voltage in a sense to reduce said second dilerence voltage to zero.'

2. Apparatus for measuring the [reactance of a complex impedance comprising a source of voltage arranged to impress a signal `voltage across said impedance under conditions of substantially constant current therethrough, substantially purely resistive means connected across said source, a movable tap connected to said resistive means whereby to provide a voltage proportional in magnitude to the resistive component of said impedance, a subtraction circuit, wenns to provide said last-namedvoltage and the complex voltage across said limpedance to said circuit, said circuit being adapted to provide an output voltage proportional in magnitude to their Ciierence, rectifiervmeans connected to the output of said subtraction circuit for rectifying said output voltage, means providing a reference voltage in opposition to said rectified voltage, and servo-mechanism means responsive to the sense of the rectified output voltage of said rectiiier arranged to adjust said reference voltage to be equal in magnitude to said rectified voltage.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 including indicator means linked to said servo-mechanism means for indicating the magnitude of said third voltage as so altered.

4. Apparatus as in claim 2 including means linked to said servo-mechanism means for indicating the magnitude of said reference `voltage as so adjusted.

5. Apparatus for measuring the resistance and reactance components of a complex impedance comprising a voltage source arranged to impress a signal voltage across said impedance under conditions of substantially constant current through i the latter, a first substantially purely resistive element connected across said source, a second resistive element connected across said source, means connected to said second element to furnish first and second voltages of equal lesser magnitude than said signal voltage and mutually opposite phase, a movable tap'connected to said iirst element and adapted to derive a third voltage therefrom, a subtraction circuit, means providing said third voltage and the complex voltage across said complex impedance to said subtraction circuit, said subtraction circuit producing a voltage proportional to their difference, means connected to said subtraction circuit for adding said difference voltage separately to each of said first and second voltages, means operative upon the two resulting sums to provide a second difference voltage, and servo-mechanism means responsive to the sense of said second difference voltage and operative upon said movable tap to alter said third voltage in a sense to reduce said second difference voltage to zero, means also connected to the output of said subtraction circuit for rectifying the output voltage thereof, means providing a reference voltage in opposition to said rectified voltage, and second servo-mechanism resistive element connected across said source, means connected to said second element to furnish first and second voltages of equal lesser magnitude than said signal voltage and mutually opposite phase, a movable tap connected to said rst element and adapted to derive a third voltage therefrom, a subtraction circuit, means providing said third voltage and the complex voltage across said complex impedance to said subtraction circuit, said subtraction circuit producing a voltage proportional to their difference, means connected to said subtraction circuit for adding said difference voltage separately to each of said first and second voltages, means operative upon the two resulting sums to provide a second difference voltage, and servo-mechanism means responsive to the sense of said second difference voltage and operative upon said movable tap to alter said third voltage in a sense to reduce said second difference voltage to zero, means also connected to the output of said subtraction circuit for rectifying the output voltage thereof, means providing a reference voltage in opposition to said rectified voltage, and second servomechanism means responsive to the sense of said rectified voltage arranged to adjust said reference voltage to be equal in magnitude to said rectied voltage, and separate individual means linked to each of said servo-mechanism means for separately indicating the respective magnitudes of said third voltage as so altered and of said reference voltage as so adjusted.

LEWIS P. REITZ, JR

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS (ETHER REFERENCES Electronics, May 19%, pages i6-*88,

Certificate of ICorrection Patent N o. 2,557 ,7 98 June 19, 1951 i LEWIS P. REITZ, JR.

It is hereby certified that erro the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 2, line 35, for V oltage E read voltage E', column 3, line 30, for jEx--E read jEx--EA; line 40, for (-E0+E) read (*E0+EA); line 41, for voltage read voltages; column 7, line 47, for KEOE read KEOEA; and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oice. Signed and sealed this 11th day of September, A. D. 1951.

r appears in the printed specication of [BML] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,557,798 June 19, 1951 LEWIS P. REITZ, JR.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed speceation of the above numbered patent requirlng correction as follows:

Column 2, line 35, for Voltage E read voltage E', column 3, line 30, for jEx-FE read jEx-I-EA; line 40, for (-EO+E) read (-ED-i-EA); line 41, for voltage read lvoltages; column 7, line 47, for KEoE read KEOEA;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Oce. Signed and sealed this 11th day of September, A. D. 1951.

[SML] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

